8 (More!) Motley Fool Culture Tips

Employee morale is a hot topic, but brothers David and Tom Gardner co-founded The Motley Fool when workplace culture wasn’t a “thing.” Conferences, keynote speakers, and workshops didn’t exist, so David and Tom started from scratch. Inspired by personal work ethics, these Fools looked for ways to bring fun into the office. One of their earliest questions was: “What would make employees want to come to work?” Foolishness didn’t set the entire business tone, as purpose-driven work continues to be a top priority, but the Fool has created a unique workplace culture that’s worth learning about.

David Gardner recently hosted return guests (and fellow Fools!) Kara Chambers and Lee Burbage on his weekly podcast, “Rule Breakers Investing.” Supported by specific examples, Kara and Lee shared where The Motley Fool has found success through employee morale. The full episode is available as a transcript (Rule_Breaker_Investing_08.02.2017) or to listen to here.

Have you ever thought about the culture at your organization? Taking action on these Fool tips could be worthwhile:

1. Reading

“Wellness” extends past physical exercise. A culture of learning is encouraged at the Fool, so we cover any business-related book that a Fool requests through our Bookie Monster perk.

2. Connecting

For 10-plus years, our internal Speaker Series (called “At the Fool”) has hosted guests that range from authors to business leaders and professional coaches. Thinking outside the box leads to bigger innovations, and smaller groups allow for more diverse experiences.

3. Listening

Lee and Kara support the Fool’s Organizational Development team, which is internally known as a group of “Thriving Fools.” Like most things at the company, our coaching program is opt-in. Peer coaches are a slightly different outlet than human resources or management for Fools who need a friendly ear.

4. Exploring

The Motley Fool is a project-based culture where Fools could be working on 6 or 7 different projects at once – and that’s a good thing!